Simply French Café

Simply French Café was started three years ago by Isobel and her husband, Hasmet, after a long sojourn in France with their two teenage daughters. It was there that Isobel learned how to make macarons in Paris at Lenotre, a restaurant, cafe, and cooking school founded by Gaston Lenôtre.

Simply French Café is home to the BEST macarons (naturally gluten-free) my family has ever tasted – they are perfect, from the way the fragile shell cracks upon first bite to their delicate, melt-in-your-mouth taste. Our favourite is the lemon macaron; it has a delicate, almost floral quality that we’ve not found before in other lemon-flavoured desserts and we’re always recommending it because its flavours are so pleasing to the senses, it is just sublime. Other favourite flavours are chocolate, orange, chocolate mint, coconut, and strawberry. (Ok. Really, we like every flavour they make and we’ve tried them all, so far. If I have missed any, I will update you accordingly;) Another bonus – ! – macaron classes have recently become available so that everyone is welcome to the pleasure of making and enjoying their own macarons both at any time and to impress their friends and family with – and they WILL be impressed with the Simply French Macarons!

Many of the desserts offered at Simply French are also gluten-free, including a flourless chocolate mousse cake that’s also made without butter, making it also dairy-free. (I would also heartily recommend their chai latte, which I tried the last time I visited Simply French to meet a friend, it really hit the spot and was perfect on a cold, rainy day.) Paninis are also available to be made with gluten-free rice bread upon request. There are desserts and other baked goods as well as some meal items made with wheat as well, so do ask when you place your order rather than assume.

In addition to desserts and baked goods, Simply French also sells boutique items from France that are lovingly and artfully displayed in the cafe that immediately draws the eye and begs one to ‘just go have a look’. Some of the boutique items for sale are soap, candles, silk scarves, jewelry, and lip balms, amongst other assorted items. Artwork by local artists are displayed on the walls and are frequently rotated, once even including artwork from 4Cats that the children in their classes next door had done (4 Cats is a wonderful children’s art studio with really wonderful staff there, too, and the children make such beautiful things!) Simply French also also has regular evening events including live music and performances, and they will accept bookings to use their space in the evenings.

Isobel and Hasmet have done such a beautiful job with Simply French Cafe: everything is delicious, the atmosphere is charming, warm, and welcoming, the art is perfect, the boutique items are beautiful, and Isobel and Hasmet are such lovely people. Really, you owe it to yourself to stop by and welcome yourself to having a truly Simply French Café experience.

Z – I’m counting on you posting the recipe. I’m the biggest fan of your SCD meringues (the only recipe I’ve seen that uses honey and results in a crispy crunchy meringue) and would love to be a fan of your macaroon recipe.